Their Cold Caress
by SmileyHalo
Summary: [Formerly Frozen Soul] He thought he had lost her forever, but someone, somewhere thought otherwise. How will Mickey and Martha cope with the Doctor's return to Rose? Especially when it's not the happy reunion Rose and the Doctor had dreamed of....10Rose
1. Chapter 1

He took her hand in his, caressed her slender fingers, fingers now damp with his fallen tears.

"I know you love me, I never doubted that."

Her cheeks were pale, her eyes cold, angry. Still she looked at him, couldn't tear herself away from him.

"I honestly don't know what I was thinking! You would never leave me, would you? You're still here, you would have left me by now if you really wanted to, you're stubborn like that," he whispered quietly, half laughing to himself. But he stopped at the look on her face. She was hurt, scared, broken.

And all because he had told himself she was no longer there.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The first knock at the door passed unnoticed.

"Jackie, are you there?"

The second knock was more urgent, but still no one came.

"Jackie? It's me, Mickey, let me in! It's freezing out here!"

She couldn't move. She was frozen on the spot.

"Jackie? Please, just answer the door!"

She would try if she could. She would pull herself up on icy limbs, and she would reach out. Except he wasn't who she needed him to be.

The third knock was the final one, and still she didn't flinch. The door came crashing down ahead of her; still nothing moved.

His heart was thundering as he picked his way cautiously through the dimly-lit hall. There was something not right about this; someone was always in these days, ever since the accident. No one could bear to leave her here alone, because they knew if they left her, even for a second, she would be allowed to trick herself in to believing in the reality of her dreams. It was hard enough to hear her cry for him when she knew he was gone; it was utterly heartbreaking to hear her talking to him when she thought he had come back for her.

"_He's here Mickey! I heard her, the TARDIS, he's coming back for me I know it!"_

_She grinned at him, and he matched it with his own beaming smile. Such warmth in her eyes was unusual these days; she had rarely found it in herself to be happy since he had left her. Mickey couldn't make her smile like that any more, make her laugh like he used to. He treasured these moments, because they were the few moments when she was genuinely content with her place in the world. But he had to stop her believing, before she got too carried away. _

"_No sweetheart, he can't. He's gone now. I'm sorry."_

_He wanted to cry when he saw her face. She went through the motions of a child who had just been told her favourite teddy had been thrown away. There was the look of shock, the feeble protestations that what she had been told simply wasn't true, then the bottom lip began to tremble slightly, her eyes screwed up tight as she tried to fight her tears and opened again as she failed miserably to stop their rapid flow down her rosy cheeks. He put his arms protectively around her as she sobbed brokenly in to his chest, though he knew it did little to comfort her. Only the Doctor could help her now. _

Her blonde hair was splayed out around her head like a peroxide halo. Her hazel eyes were open, but for once they did not convey the sorrow that had permanently scarred her heart. He would have welcomed that, if it weren't for the fact that in sorrow's place there was nothing. He knelt down beside her where she lay perfectly still on the kitchen floor, weeping softly, cursing that nothingness. Her eyes were empty. She was gone.

A/N: This isn't just a one shot and all will be explained eventually! Please do let me know what you think of it so far :)

Until Next Time

Smileyhalo


	2. Chapter 2

"Rose, sweetheart, I'm back! Can I make you a cuppa?" Jackie asked, knocking gently on her daughter's bedroom door.

Rose was always locked away in her room these days. She didn't talk as much as she used to, she smiled even less, and that hurt, but Jackie was just glad to have her home again. She had hated it when her daughter was away on her travels with him; she never knew where Rose was, when she was going to turn up again, if she was going to turn up again. It wasn't that she didn't trust the Doctor; she had to, Rose's love for him gave her no choice in that. It just scared her that something could happen to Rose and he would never have to tell her. He could do his best to fix her, or just leave her behind somewhere, and Jackie would have no idea until it was far too late, if she ever found out at all.

She felt selfish, being so happy when her daughter was in so much pain. But the relief that she was finally back for good, that Jackie could see for herself every day that her Rose was safe, was overwhelming.

When she turned away from the door and saw her daughter laid still on the kitchen floor, with Mickey knelt weeping beside her, that relief washed away in an instant.

Jackie was knelt down next to her daughter before Mickey even had the chance to register she was back, almost pushing him away in her haste to reach Rose. She moved her gently so that she was cradled in her lap, softly stroking her blonde hair, tears tumbling silently down her cheeks. She wasn't ready to let Rose go, she hadn't even said goodbye. Did Rose even know how much her mother loved her?

"What happened Mickey?" she asked quietly, unable to tear her eyes away from the angel she held in her arms.

His eyes were red and sore from weeping, but the tears had done nothing to douse the red hot anger burning inside him.

"Where were you?" he asked, his voice a harsh whisper.

Jackie looked flustered.

"I just popped out to see Nikki at the shop, and you know what she's like, she talks for-"

"You should have been here! You know she shouldn't be alone, why the hell did you leave her!" Mickey yelled, voice cracking slightly as he looked at Rose, lying pale and still in her mother's arms.

"I didn't think it would do any harm!" she cried, voice strangled, "she was asleep when I left, and I didn't think I'd be gone for long. Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry" Jackie sobbed, clinging desperately to her child's motionless body.

All Rose wanted at that moment was to sit up and give her mum a hug, tell her everything was going to be alright. But she was frozen in her mother's arms, and she could do nothing now but wait for him to find her.

"I can't believe how easy that was, all you had to do was wave the sonic screwdriver at it a bit, and _bang, _it was gone just like that! It was amazing!" Martha gushed, grinning up at the Doctor.

"It was a bit more than that!" the Doctor exclaimed incredulously, "That was a class A intimidation tactics display. But you're right; it was a bit easy wasn't it? Oh well, we deserve a break every so often" he replied, matching her grin, "besides, you never know what's going to happen next Martha, so make the most of the rare easy victory, because you never know when the next one is coming. Now, where did you want to go next?" he asked, running up to the TARDIS controls, frantically pressing buttons and pulling levers in his usual overexcited manner. Before she got the chance to answer, however, the TARDIS lurched violently forwards, sending them both sprawling across the floor, the engines roaring like thunder, lights around them flickering and dying until all that could be seen was the eerie light at heart of the TARDIS, slowly rising and falling at the centre of the room.

"What's going on Doctor? Where are we going?" Martha shouted over the noise of the TARDIS.

"I don't know," the Doctor answered quietly, a puzzled frown marring his deceptively youthful face "I really don't know."

Jackie almost screamed as Rose suddenly sat up, gasping desperately for air to fill her burning lungs. But before she could say anything, her daughter turned slowly round to look at her, a warm smile lighting up her pale face like sunshine.

"He's coming," she said happily, before collapsing again in her astonished mother's arms.

A/N: So, the mystery deepens... Please guys do let me know what you think of it, feedback really is welcomed, and I would be interested to see where you think I'm going with this. I hope you enjoyed it anyways!

Until next time

Smileyhalo


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: italics are flashbacks or thoughts. Enjoy!

* * *

"Mickey, go next door and get Rachel, she's a nurse, she might know what to do!" Jackie said, her deceptively calm voice failing to betray the shock and fear that gripped at her heart. She squeezed her daughter's hand reassuringly even though she wasn't sure Rose could feel it, and, though she was by no means religious, offered a quick prayer to whoever was looking down on them at that moment in time.

_Please,_ _just give her some more time to come back to us._

Looking up, Jackie found Mickey still standing above them both, looking dazed. She would have felt more sorry for him if she thought Rose had the time to wait; as it was, her daughter's life seemed to be hanging by a mere thread, so there was no time for sympathy, she could offer that later. Action was what was needed now.

"MICKEY!!! Go and get Rachel NOW!!!"

Mickey jumped then hastened to obey, running faster than Jackie had ever thought possible out the house, leaving mother and daughter alone to wait, though only Rose knew what for.

* * *

Pete Tyler, the Pete Tyler of the alternate universe, had seen a lot of changes in his life over the past few months. He had lost his Jackie, only to find Jackie Tyler, loving mother and part-time battleaxe, from the other universe, the one she called real. He had gone from his brief spell as a widower to a husband with a wife he adored and a daughter he wasn't sure should even exist. The closest he had ever been to a father before now was when his Jackie adopted a pet corgi, also called Rose, and insisted on calling him 'Daddy' in her presence, so he found it almost terrifying when a nineteen year old woman from another universe that he had never even known existed gave him the same title. A nineteen year old woman who had travelled through space and time and almost died countless times, yet loved every second of it. A nineteen year old woman who had fallen in love with an alien. A nineteen year old woman who had been through more in her short life than he ever would, yet still look to him for advice, for love and comfort as though she were a mere child, because that was almost what she was nowadays. Her fierce independent streak; gone. Her courage; gone. Her spirit and memories; gone. All that remained of her old self was the love she held for the Doctor, a force so strong that he doubted even death could take it from her. Pete would hold his daughter whilst she sobbed desperately in to his shoulder, wishing she could bring the Doctor back like she had in her dreams. He would laugh when she told him of all the strange places they had seen, all the odd things they had done, the mistakes they had made. But more often he would rage, silently, at the unfairness of it all when he had to remind his Rose every single day that she would never see her Doctor again.

It was hard enough to rebuild her happiness once; twice, with no memories seemed impossible.

Pete almost jumped as his phone went off, its piercing ring reverberating loudly around his small office. No one ever phoned him while he was at work, unless there was an emergency. He remembered the phone call he had received on the day of Rose's accident, and his body tensed involuntarily as he pressed the accept button.

* * *

"_Sweetheart, there's been an accident. It's Rose, she's-"_

_On the other end of the line, Jackie's voice broke as a loud sob escaped from her throat. When she managed to speak again, Pete could still hear the tears in her trembling voice._

"_We have to get down to the hospital; she'll want us there when she wakes up won't she?"_

_Pete knew there was another, unspoken possibility in his wife's voice, one that he didn't dare think about. The possibility that Rose may never wake up._

"_I'll be right there princess."_

* * *

It had taken a while for Rose to pick up the pieces of a normal life, but after a couple of months in the alternate universe, she had managed to restore some stability to her life, with her family, a small but loyal group of friends and a job at Torchwood establishing initial communications with alien visitors to her planet. The visitors, however, did not always appreciate the welcome….

* * *

"_Watch where you're going mate!" a young man shouted angrily as Pete stormed past him, pushing roughly against his shoulder as he made his way through the glass doors marking the hospital entrance. He paid no attention; he wouldn't stop now until he had his wife in his arms and his daughter safely within his sight._

"_How can I help you sir?" an elderly lady with iron grey curls and a warm smile asked as he approached the reception desk._

"_I'm looking for my daughter, Rose Tyler, she was in an accident."_

_The lady typed in Rose's name on her computer before making a quick call to Accident and Emergency, Pete tapping impatiently on the desk above her._

"_She's just been seen by the doctor, she's being moved to the special injuries unit on the fourth floor."_

"_Thank you!"_

"_Sweetheart, thank God you're here!" Jackie cried as she fell in to her husband's arms, tearstained face pressed hard against his shoulder as she hugged him tightly to her._

"_What happened?" Pete asked gravely as he surveyed Rose, lying seemingly peacefully in the bed beside them, oblivious to the machines beeping steadily around her._

"_They don't know. It was something to do with that job of hers, something must have happened at one of her meetings and now they don't know what's wrong with her!"_

* * *

She had to do something. She couldn't just sit and watch while her daughter's life slipped away from her, waiting for help that may never come. Mickey was taking far too long getting Rachel, so she phoned for an ambulance, before phoning her husband.

"Hello?"

"Oh sweetheart! It's Rose, she-"

The tears were threatening to fall again. She thought she had put a stop to all that! She swallowed hard and took a deep breath, willing herself to keep it together for this.

"-the ambulance will be here soon I think. She collapsed and-"

That was enough detail for them both. Jackie broke down completely when Pete ended the call with the promise he was already on his way home.

* * *

"Martha, are you alright?"

After fifteen terrifying minutes the TARDIS had finally stopped lurching, the engine going back to a soft hum before the ship was sent crashing to land with a loud bang. The Doctor scrambled to his feet, hearts racing madly when he failed to immediately spot his companion. He breathed a sigh of relief when she emerged from underneath one of the large control panels a few seconds' later, rubbing a growing bump on the back of her head and wincing.

"Just fine" she answered, grinning weakly. She looked as though she was going to be sick. "Where are we?"

"Good question!" The Doctor opened the 'front door' of the TARDIS and took a quick peek at the world outside his ship, before withdrawing to stand by Martha's side, looking thoughtful.

"Well, it's hard to say really, we're in the middle of some kind of housing estate like the ones you have back at home, but I couldn't tell you where. There's no clue of the date just yet, but I'm sure if we looked around a bit, we would soon find out."

"We could always go and ask someone," she suggested.

"And that wouldn't look at all suspicious now would it?" the Doctor replied sarcastically. Martha sighed wearily; men could be so stupid sometimes, even the alien ones.

"I don't mean about the date! You said we're on a housing estate right?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Well why don't you go and ask someone where we are? Just say we're travelling or something, that we took a wrong turning and we're not sure where we've ended up. And I bet if you saw the inside of one of those houses you could at least guess what time period we're looking at."

"You're a clever one Martha Jones, I'll give you that! Excellent plan!" Martha grinned as the Doctor gave her a quick hug. "Right, well, I think it's probably best if you stay here, at least until I know where we are. I'll be back in a minute."

With that, he was gone, leaving Martha alone to wonder exactly what adventure they had managed to land themselves in this time.

* * *

"You're far too cold you know sweetheart, I think I'll go and fetch a blanket, see if we can't warm you up a bit. Back in a second."

Rose didn't show any sign of having heard her mother, so Jackie placed her carefully back down on the floor before dashing off to get a blanket.

_Where the hell is that ambulance!_

_

* * *

Well that's odd, the Doctor thought to himself as he wandered in to the exposed hallway, __they got rid of doors! Wherever this is, it's very strange. I mean, what happens when it rains? Or if someone fancies breaking in? They're leaving themselves open to all sorts, being exposed like that._ the Doctor thought to himself as he wandered in to the exposed hallway, 

"Hello?" he called cautiously as he picked his way through the cluttered space towards what looked to be a kitchen, "anyone home?"

His question was answered when he saw the woman laid still on the floor in front of him.

He dropped heavily to his knees beside her, body numb with disbelief.

"Rose?" he whispered tenderly, hesitantly reaching out and stroking a frozen cheek, tears welling in his chocolate brown eyes. It couldn't be her, it was impossible…. but it explained a lot, the strange behaviour of his ship for one thing.

He was jolted from his thoughts by a cracking slap across the face that sent him reeling. There were no doubts now, it was Rose alright. He would recognise Jackie Tyler's iron hard right hand anywhere.

* * *

A/N: Two apologies. First off, sorry for the wait, exams for uni took over my life for a bit, but I've got three months off now yay! Secondly, sorry for not replying to reviews. Thank you, because they were lovely and I assure you they were appreciated! There's no real excuse for it apart from the above, so I just hope you will forgive me and review again, I promise I will get back to you this time. Any comments, questions or suggestions then just let me know!

Until Next Time (which I'm sure will be much sooner than the last!) ...

Smileyhalo


	4. Chapter 4

"What happened to her Jackie?" the Doctor asked softly, rubbing absentmindedly at his still-burning cheek.

* * *

After the ever-welcoming first slap he had received, Jackie had continued to rage at the dumbstruck Doctor for a further ten minutes until she was interrupted by Mickey's timely return. The Time Lord had to give the young man his due; he hid his understandable shock brilliantly, ignoring his automatic urge to ask questions in favour of focussing on the more pressing issue, explaining hurriedly to Jackie the reason for the absence of his expected company.

"Rachel wasn't in. I must have knocked twenty times but there was no answer, so I phoned her mobile instead. She's stuck on the high street; there's been an accident, nothing's moving, so she won't be getting anywhere fast for a while."

"What about the ambulance!" Jackie's expression was one of utter panic.

"We should try and get her more comfortable, move her if we can," Mickey responded, "It could be a while yet."

"Can I take her?" The Doctor's voice was barely a whisper as he looked pleadingly at the older woman, knowing his request was most likely to be denied. After all this time, all the pain he had caused her daughter, it was hardly surprising that Jackie's trust in the Doctor had dissolved; he didn't expect her to grant him any favours when it came to Rose, no matter how small they were.

Still, something about his humble manner must have moved her, as she tentatively nodded her head in agreement, though the look in her eyes warned him of the danger he was in if he put even one toe out of line.

He lifted Rose up carefully from the floor, clutching her cold body gently to his chest, her heartbeat slow but comforting against his own rapid rhythms. He wanted nothing more now than to carry her back to the TARDIS where she belonged, with him. But he couldn't, he knew that. He couldn't tear her away from the stability of a life on earth, with her family, even if she got better, because he couldn't risk losing her again. Besides, Jackie was following so closely behind him as he carried her daughter through to the lounge that he could feel her hot breath lingering on the back of his neck. Escape with his precious burden would be nothing short of impossible.

As soon as Rose had been laid down on one of the oversized leather sofas lining the room, Jackie was at her side, propping her head up on two fluffy cream cushions and covering her with her favourite blanket, knowing she was fussing unnecessarily but unable to stop all the same.

"She's okay now Jackie," Mickey said kindly, sensing her growing distress, "why don't you make yourself a cup of tea? I'll keep an eye on her, no need to worry."

"I don't want a bleeding cup of tea! I want my daughter back!" Jackie burst out, tears and mascara streaming down her cheeks, "It's not fair, not after everything she's been through, hasn't she had enough yet?!"

"Of course it's not fair, life never is," The Doctor replied darkly, crouching down so he was at Jackie's level, "and there's no point in questioning that. What Rose needs now isn't for you to pick a fight with the higher powers of the universe; she needs you to help her come back to us. You have to tell me everything Jackie, everything that's gone on since she came back to you, because maybe then I can work out how to bring her back again. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Her quiet voice was full of steely determination as she wiped the tears forcibly from her face, expression grim.

"Mickey, stay here and keep an eye on Rose okay?"

"Okay."

"Oh, and Jackie-" the Doctor paused out in the hallway, Jackie only a couple of steps behind him, "I know you said you don't want one, but any chance of a cup of tea? And a chocolate biscuit too if you've got any, only I'm rather peckish from all the travelling-"

"You cheeky little sod!" she cried, clapping him deftly round the ear, though there was the faintest trace of a smile on her face as she did so.

* * *

"It took her a while to settle back in to a routine, she missed the travelling, missed you so much that I didn't think she ever would."

The Doctor smiled softly. He remembered a time, shortly after his regeneration, when Rose would have given anything to be able to leave the TARDIS and go home, because, she had said, it just wasn't the same anymore. He could say the same now she had left; Martha was a good friend, a loyal companion, just like Rose. But in his heart he knew she wasn't who he really needed her to be.

"Eventually she realised that she couldn't just keep floating along, waiting for you to come back. I know you would have done, if you had known how-" Jackie said quickly, seeing the defensive look crossing the Doctor's face, "-but she had to set down some roots here, in case you really couldn't get back to her. Mickey helped her out a lot, finding friends and he put her on to the job at Torchwood-"

"- she works at Torchwood? Doing what?" The Doctor interrupted, curious now.

"Well, from what I can gather, she used to meet new arrivals to Earth, establish communications with them for future tracking purposes-"

"Used to?"

"There was an accident," Jackie said slowly, biting her lip as the tears threatened to fall again. "One of her meetings went wrong. No one knows exactly what happened; Rose doesn't remember much of it, and whatever she does know about it, she won't talk about with me. She was unconscious for three days, and when she woke up and saw me, she thought she was just back home for a visit. She didn't remember the two of you losing each other; she was adamant that she was still with you in our old universe. All her memories of the life she had begun to build for herself here were gone. And even when we told her what had happened, she couldn't take it in. She wakes up every day thinking she's still with you, and every day we have to break her heart, reminding her you're gone."

It hurt him terribly to know Rose had been robbed of the chance to try and move on as he had, but now he had come back to her there was nothing he wouldn't do to fix that. But first he had to figure out how.

"Did anything happen today? Anything that could have made her feel worse?"

Jackie shook her head.

"She's been sleeping a lot the past few days; it's played havoc with her moods, but apart from that nothing."

"Has she been dreaming?"

Jackie looked puzzled, but answered all the same.

"When she sleeps, she dreams of you. That's why she won't ever be able to move on."

The last thing she was expecting to see was the huge grin that slowly spread across his face as the pieces of the puzzle finally began to slot in to place.

_Eureka!_

"But it's not her fault she can't remember I've gone…. It's because someone else doesn't want her to! Please Jackie, just let me take a look at her back on board the TARDIS, because whatever's wrong with her, it's not a human illness, but I can fix it, I know I can!"

"No!" Jackie replied forcefully, the calm between them shattering in an instant "I won't let you take her from me; she's staying right here until the ambulance arrives, then she's going to a hospital, a human hospital with proper doctors and nurses, 'cos I don't care how many people you've saved before, you ain't a real Doctor and you can't fix my Rose!"

"Maybe not, but I could give it a try," a small voice cut uncertainly through the heavy silence as Jackie squared up to the Doctor, arms crossed, daring him to challenge her. Both she and the Doctor whipped around to see Martha stood awkwardly in the doorway, though of course only one of them knew who she was. The other, however, was soon to find out.

"Who the hell are you?!" Jackie screeched, "I didn't invite you here, what the hell are you doing in my house?"

"I'm Martha, Martha Jones," she replied nervously, holding out a hand in a friendly gesture which the older woman chose to ignore "I'm a medical student and a friend of the Doctor's."

The Doctor winced and slapped a hand wearily to his forehead as the onslaught began.

"So you've replaced her then! It didn't take you long did it? My Rose has been left heartbroken because of you, barely able to live, but you, you're just like any other man, over her as soon as the next bit of skirt comes along! She's not as pretty mind," Jackie remarked derisively, looking a bewildered Martha up and down, "but I guess it doesn't matter to you, as long as she's soft enough to fall in love with you-"

"That's enough now Jackie!" the Doctor said loudly, temper rising, "This is hardly the time or the place to be discussing this, for all we know Rose could be dying! It doesn't matter who she is, Martha has offered to try and help your daughter, so you're just going to have to accept her okay?"

Jackie glared at him but nodded all the same. The Doctor breathed a silent sigh of relief. This was an awkward enough situation for Martha to be in, the last thing she needed was for him to reject her feelings outright in front of the mother of the woman he loved, especially when said mother was acting like a bigger dragon than the one he had seen slain by St George (which, by the way, was massive).

Martha was looking at the pair of them with confusion in her eyes. She clearly was still unsure of what exactly she had walked in to, so the Doctor thought it only fair to prepare her. He imagined she already knew there was some kind of history between him and Jackie, (she had eyes and ears after all, and it was pretty obvious the argument they had been having wasn't exactly based on the weather) but after all he had told her about the impossibility of any reunion between him and Rose, the last person she would expect this woman to be was his last companion's mother.

"Right, now, before we get started, I think a proper, friendly introduction is needed. Jackie, this, as we have already established, is Martha Jones. Martha, this is Jackie Tyler, Rose Tyler's-"

"MUM!"

A/N: Any comments, questions or suggestions, please do let me know, I love to hear from you guys! Also, if anyone fancies beta-ing the next chapter could you let me know please? It's more for reassurance than bad grammar (at least I hope!)

Hope you enjoyed it!

Until Next Time...

SmileyHalo


	5. Chapter 5

The haze was slowly lifting. Her fingers were tingling, her toes too. Her heart was hammering in her chest, painfully so. And one thought echoed round and round her mind, the fear it brought her growing with every shallow breath she took.

_They think I'm dead._

And if her mother thought she was dead, and Mickey as well, then that meant the Doctor would too. And why would he stick around on a dead end estate on Earth when he could mourn his loss on any planet he felt like visiting? After all, staying with Jackie Tyler would probably cause him just as much pain as leaving Rose behind. She knew, given their history, what she would do in his situation….

"MUM!"

* * *

Martha had never seen the Doctor move so fast, legs almost a blur as he sped off in the direction of the blonde girl's voice, closely followed by her dragon of a mother. Abandoned, she sank slowly in to one of the vacant wooden chairs, losing herself in thoughts which became increasingly bleak as the minutes dragged by.

She supposed she would have to get used to this, being stuck alone in a strange place, without him. After all, her poky flat was no longer home after spending so many months on board the TARDIS, and how was she ever supposed to slip back in to her old routine after having lived the life less ordinary?

She knew it wasn't even worth wondering about, because what she thought was no longer of any consequence; the Doctor loved Rose with both his hearts, anyone could see that, and now he had been given a second chance he would never let her go again. That left no room for Martha, because even if he asked her to stay she didn't think she would be able to bear the pain of seeing them together, a constant reminder that she was always going to have been second best to Rose, no matter how much she loved him.

She hadn't realised at first that she was crying, but it wasn't long before she broke down completely, no longer able to deal with the pain of longing overwhelming her heart.

* * *

The Doctor and Jackie both sighed happily when they found Rose sat up slightly on the sofa, looking up at the Doctor with relief in her eyes as he sat down beside her on one of the padded leather arms.

"Hey you" she smiled sleepily at him, allowing her body to relax now the danger of his imminent departure had passed. The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat; here was Rose Tyler, his Rose Tyler, life sparkling in her beautiful eyes as she looked up at him. Those were the eyes that had made him fall in love with her, the smile he dreamed of every night. And she looked so content, so peaceful; there was no sign in her expression of the hurt they had both endured since their separation. He wanted desperately to reach out and hug her for that, because somehow it made all his pain worthwhile, to see her as she was now, happy. Instead, he settled for a grin that made him look slightly crazed, but she laughed all the same, her beaming smile lighting up her face and making her look more beautiful than ever. The Doctor stopped smiling then, gazing deep in to those bright brown eyes, his words unable to convey even a fraction of the emotion he felt, yet still sounding more heartfelt than anything Rose had ever heard in her life.

"I've missed you."

He was startled to say the least when, in response, she threw a cream cushion hard at his chest, laughing wildly when he lost his balance and almost fell off the sofa.

"You daft idiot! It's only been a night, and it's not like I was miles away. You carry on like this and Mum's gonna be able to walk all over you, softie!"

His smile was slightly unsteady, but the Doctor recovered quickly all the same, playfully throwing the cushion back at her, eyes bright with mischief and stray tears as he swiftly defended himself.

"I know, but you always say I don't appreciate you enough, so I thought I would change that. She's always nagging me about it in fact," he said, turning to face Jackie for a second, "you should be proud to have produced a daughter so like you."

Jackie narrowed her eyes at him, but resisted the urge to use bodily force; for now she didn't care about anything anyone said or did, she was just happy to see her daughter smiling again.

It didn't last long though, because as much as the Doctor wanted to just forget it, there was a problem with Rose that he needed to solve because he knew twenty-something human girls didn't fall unconscious for hours on end for no reason, especially when he was involved.

* * *

She didn't even realise he was there until she felt strong arms wrap around her shoulders, her sobs becoming quieter as he rubbed his hands in soothing circles round her back.

"It's alright sweetheart, it's alright."

She broke away from him immediately, glaring angrily at the stranger kneeling in front of her.

"No it's not!" she cried ferociously, "I'm going to lose everything; how can that possibly be alright?"

Quite inappropriately, Mickey smiled.

"You're with the Doctor aren't you?"

She nodded quietly.

"And you love him, right?"

"Excuse me?! Who the hell are you to make assumptions like that when you don't even know me-"

"It's Martha right?" he replied calmly, politely holding out a hand, which she cautiously accepted "My name's Mickey Smith. I'm a friend of Rose's."

"I guess you don't think much of me then," Martha said quietly.

"You can't help who you fall for. I've loved Rose for years. But she loves him, the Doctor, she always will."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, not sure what else to say.

"It's not your fault. Now how about a cup of tea?" he asked, smiling kindly at her, "The Doctor asked for some time alone with Rose and Jackie, and judging by the look on his face, I think we might be here for a while."

* * *

"Please Doctor, surely you don't need to do this," Jackie whispered, clutching anxiously at one of his arms. He almost felt sorry for her, seeing the pain and desperation in Jackie's eyes, knowing that Rose wasn't the only one left hurting as a result of that fateful meeting.

"I'm sorry Jackie, it's the only way," he replied gravely.

"But she won't understand, you know she won't!"

"We have to try."

He walked back over to Rose and took her slender hands in his, noting with concern just how cold they were. She looked up at her mother, stood watching in the doorway, and then at the Doctor, and although she was clearly alert, her eyes questioning, the spark behind them was beginning to fade. There wasn't much time. He had to be very, very careful.

"My God, you're warm Doctor! Are you feeling alright?" Rose tried to break a hand free of his grip in order to feel his forehead, but he refused to let go, shaking her gently so her eyes focussed on his face again.

"I'm fine Rose; I'm just worried about you that's all. But we can fix that, you just have to let me take a look at you okay?" She could tell he was forcing himself to remain calm, but about what she wasn't sure. He had been acting very strangely ever since she had woken up from her nap, and the intensity of his gaze upon her face was beginning to scare her. She nodded nervously and was relieved when his face softened, his deep frown replaced by a slightly weary smile.

"This may be difficult for you to understand, but I'll try my best to explain what it is that I'm going to have to do in a minute."

She fought the urge to scold him for his cheek; she wasn't stupid, she was perfectly capable of understanding anything he told her, he knew that! But he looked so worried that she thought it best just to listen and get it over with.

"Go on then," she said, squeezing his hand encouragingly. He looked to Jackie for some sign of approval, and was relieved when she nodded her agreement. He shifted his tie nervously, coughed a few times, then, at an impatient glance from both women, began to speak, trying his best to look reassuringly at Rose even though his stomach was doing flip flops at the thought of the upset he might be about to cause her.

"I've been away for a while-"

"-I'd hardly call a night a long time!"

"- And while I've been away, something has happened to you-"

"-I've got a zit haven't I? Oh god, I have! It's huge isn't it?!" she cried, pulling a hand away from his and feverishly touching her face, trying to find the "spot."

"There is no zit, Rose, please just listen to me!" he shouted, grabbing her free hand again, desperate for her attention. She looked like a startled rabbit, eyes shining, mouth slightly agape, and he immediately regretted being so impatient with her. He just wished there was more time; it would make things so much easier if there was more time.

"It's hard to explain Rose, but there was incident… you met someone from another planet who wasn't exactly friendly, and you haven't been the same since. The TARDIS brought me back here to help you, but I can't do that until I find out exactly what happened, and the only way I can do that is by looking through your memories. It won't work though unless you let me, so I need you to trust me, if you can."

Rose's head was swimming, mind buzzing with so many unanswered questions. _Where had he been? Why had he left her?_

"Why did you let them hurt me?"

Her voice was soft yet accusing, and every word stung like salt in an already painful wound. He knew it would be hard, explaining how they had lost each other, going through all those painful memories again was always going to be difficult, but somehow he hadn't expected it to hurt this much. Tears burned painfully in his eyes, and for a few seconds he faltered, unsure of how to answer.

_You just have to be honest with her, it's what she deserves, no matter how much it hurts you both._

"I'm sorry I wasn't here for you Rose. If I could do anything to change that I would, I really would. But I lost you, and I didn't think I would ever be able to find you again. This was never supposed to happen; I shouldn't technically be here, it's impossible really without causing colossal damage to both our universes. But I am here, and I need to know why."

"I don't understand," Rose said quietly, biting her lip, "Where have you been? Where are we now?"

"We're on earth, but not your earth, not your original one anyway. We were in a battle, against the Daleks and the Cybermen, but it all went wrong. You were taken through a gap in the dimensions by your father, well, your alternate father. If he hadn't of done that, you would have died. But I couldn't follow you; I've been travelling in our old universe without you for the past few months. I'm not sure how, but somehow the TARDIS must have sensed that there was something wrong, and now she's brought me back to you so that I can help you."

It didn't make much sense to her, but the complete honesty in his voice and the sadness in his chocolate brown eyes were enough to convince her that she had to trust him, no matter what had passed between them. Decision made, she gave him the answer he had been praying for.

"Well she's never let me down before, so I guess we'd better get on with this."

"This won't hurt a bit Rose, I promise you, just keep the doors open okay?" The Doctor whispered gently, placing his fingers delicately over her temples, wishing he could hold her as he felt her fear slowly beginning to course through his veins, overwhelming him as though it were his own.

Of course, it could have been, because Rose wasn't the only one who was scared of what the Doctor may find. He wasn't about to delude himself that he had absolutely no part to play in Rose's current condition; he had been around long enough to realise that wherever he went, trouble seemed to follow, not just him but his friends too.

_But she's not just your friend is she? Martha's a friend, and you don't look at her like that._

_**Like what?**_

_Like you love her._

_**But I love Martha too!**_

_Not like you love Rose though. Martha isn't the one whose face keeps you sane when the darkness creeps in. She's not the one who gives you hope, the strength to keep on fighting._

_**No, she's not, but- Oh come on brain, focus! Now isn't the time for a therapy session is it? She needs us, so I'm shutting the door on this right now!**_

_This won't go away forever…_

"Doctor?" Rose grasped his arm weakly, concern shining in her eyes as she felt him tense, jaw clenched, expression stony.

"Just keep the doors open, whatever we see, just keep them open, I promise I won't hurt you."

* * *

A/N: Sorry this update has taken me so long. I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Please do let me know if you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I possibly can! Plus there will be either virtual flowers or cookies for everyone who reviews, just state your preference hehe.

Special thanks must go to Bubblez-rocks-your-socks, without whose splendiferous help and support this chapter may have taken so much longer. Thank you so much:D

Until next time...

Smileyhalo


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't do this, I'm sorry but I can't," she said, suddenly grabbing his arm, the quiver in her voice betraying only a fraction of the fear she felt

"I can't do this, I'm sorry but I can't," she said, suddenly grabbing his arm, the quiver in her voice betraying only a fraction of the fear she felt. He looked at the blonde woman sternly, and her fear grew. Lowering his trembling hands and excusing himself quietly from his younger companion's side, he led Jackie over to a corner in the far side of the room. She would give anything to be able to leave her own living room at that moment, escape those piercing brown eyes, but she knew she couldn't. Her daughter needed her; she had to stay.

As if reading her thoughts, the man spoke.

"You don't have a choice Jackie. She needs you with her to support her, to keep her calm. If she's not calm then this entire exercise will be pointless. Her mind needs to be free of fear if I'm going to be able to find the problem. If I don't find out what it is that's taken hold of Rose, I won't know how to get rid of it. If I don't get rid of it, she will die. So I'm sorry, but you have no choice. You have to forget your own fear; your daughter needs you."

She let go of his arm, and the two of them made their way back towards the sofa where Rose was patiently waiting.

"Everything alright?" she asked cautiously, the uneasy look on her mother's face not escaping her attention.

"Everything's fine sweetheart. You will be fine, I promise. Just trust him," Jackie answered, looking from her daughter to the Doctor.

"I already do," Rose smiled.

"Now remember what I said Rose. Doors open."

"So you're telling me these _things _have been messing around with her brain?! I told her not to work at that place, told her it wasn't safe, but oh no! 'Not all aliens are dangerous mum, don't be so judgemental, look at the Doctor,' that's what she said, she's far too trusting, my Rose, far too trusting-"

"-And yet she would be right in most circumstances Jackie. How many other species do you think Rose helped before the Mortisen came along? My bet is hundreds, thousands even, and they never did anything to harm her! But it's always the same; one species with not so good intentions crops up and the rest of us have to suffer the bad reputation they leave behind."

"Are you trying to tell me the Slitheen had good intentions? The Cybermen? The Daleks?" Jackie replied harshly.

"Of course not! But not all aliens are heartless murderers!" the Doctor snapped back, expression stony.

"Oh, I'm sorry Doctor," Jackie sighed wearily, "I just never thought that at the age of twenty one, my Rose could be about to die because of a meeting with some sort of outer space parasite. But I still don't understand how this ever happened. Why her? Why Rose?"

"They would have made her a target from almost the second they met her. Grief is one of the strongest emotions we have, and the signals she emitted would have been enormous. The Mortisen feed off the emotions of those they meet until nothing is left of them, and then that creature's soul is taken as a single act of mercy in their otherwise despicable existence. The stronger the emotion, the longer the person lasts before the soul is taken, which is why Rose has been fading so slowly. And then there's the added complication that I'm involved of course-"

"Well why should that make a difference? How would they know about you anyway? It's not like she would have mentioned you. Not because she forgot you or anything-" she added hurriedly, seeing the look of hurt flash briefly across his face, "-she just found it too hard to talk about you, after what happened. She still loved you though, I know she did."

"Of course she did," he said quietly, "that's what got her in to this mess in the first place."

"I still don't understand why though. Not being funny Doctor," Jackie looked him up and down, frowning slightly, "but what's so special about you anyway. Yes, I know you're a Time Lord and everything-"

"The last Time Lord-" The Doctor interjected.

"Alright, the last Time Lord. But like you said, there are tons of other aliens out there. What makes you so different from them?"

His face darkened, and he turned away from Jackie, walking back over to Rose, who now lay sleeping peacefully on the sofa again.

"Rose knows. That's why she called out to me, to the TARDIS. If she dies, then they will take me too, and if they take me, the power they will gain could kill you all."

A/N: I know it's been over a year and I'm sorry, I really hope I'm forgiven! Please do let me know what you think, and I'll try and update again soon

Until Next Time...

SmileyHalo


	7. Chapter 7

"You really are full of yourself aren't you?!"

He knew he shouldn't be surprised; this was Jackie Tyler after all. But still, if the truth be told, her harsh words shocked him. He knew she thought he was arrogant, that he thought he was above her, but this time he really had been telling the truth.

He was doing a fine impression of a goldfish when Martha and Mickey walked in a few seconds later.

"Well Doctor, did you find anything?" Mickey enquired, not sure he actually wanted to know the answer.

The Doctor glared at Jackie before turning to Mickey.

"Rose has become a slave of the Mortisen race, who can only be described as parasitic. They searched her mind the moment she came in to contact with them, and came across a goldmine" he answered grimly.

"What do you mean Doctor?" Martha asked urgently, knowing that would be Mickey's next question, if only he could find the words to ask.

"The Mortisen were a race in decline, until now. Having lost their previous life source, whatever poor species that was, they have now travelled to Earth searching for another. What they will have found is a potential feast, enough for them to survive for centuries, and all because they met Rose."

"But I don't understand Doctor, I mean, there's nothing on her really, look at her-"

"They don't feed off physical forms Mickey, its emotions that they consume."

Mickey and Martha looked horrified. The Doctor sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. This was never supposed to happen… he'd imagined their reunion a thousand times since he'd lost Rose, but he'd never prepared himself for this.

"She hasn't got much time left. That's why the TARDIS was able to break through the dimensions. She felt the part of herself held in Rose start to fade and her emergency systems kicked in, bringing me her so I could try and save her and keep the both of them alive. But I'm afraid I don't quite know how. If we can keep her calm for long enough, with no emotional surges, it may be possible to starve them out."

"You can't, if you do that they'll try and take you instead, and we both know that can't happen Doctor."

The small group collectively looked up in shock as they heard Rose's weak voice interject. She hadn't slept after his brief examination, and now she knew everything, he could tell just by looking at her. It was only then that the Doctor really began to see the toll his absence had taken on her. Her brown eyes, once so full of warmth, were reduced to dull, cold orbs, the dark shadows underneath them only serving to emphasise the change. Her skin was paler than it had ever been, looking almost translucent against her hollow cheeks…

He looked away then, couldn't bear to study her any longer. She hadn't much time left, and even if her mother couldn't see it, he was pretty sure Rose knew. But her sacrifice would do nothing to stem the tide of the Mortisen takeover; confrontation was their only option.

"I'm sorry Rose, but it's the only way. Your body is too weak to resist them much longer, and if I take a stand against them now, then there's still a chance we can all get through this."

"It's too risky Doctor, I can't let them take you."

"But don't you see Rose? As long as they have you, they have me too. If anything were to happen to you…there's over nine hundred years of emotions bottled up inside me, and not just mine either. There's enough in me to rebuild the entire Mortisen race, and if that happened then humanity wouldn't stand a chance. If you sacrifice yourself, then you sacrifice the planet, so please Rose, for all our sakes', stay calm, at least until I can try and find an alternative way to deal with this."

_They used her to bring you here…They want __**you**__. It wasn't an accident she was chosen._

_**I know that, but I can't leave her to die. **_

_Why would it bother you so much? You've lost companions before, and it's hurt of course, for a long time, but why should the death of Rose Tyler be your undoing?_

_**Because she has my heart…well hearts…of course, that's it! Just because **__**she**__** can't feel any more, doesn't necessarily mean she's dead… **_

He had the technology certainly, and his acting skills should be enough to lure them out of her in any case. Perhaps sacrificing Rose wouldn't be so hard after all…

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I'm a bit nervous about posting another chapter of this story again after such a long time. The good news to anyone reading, however, is that after having had such a long gap between this and the last chapter, I had decided not to post again until I had completed the story. Now I have :) so posts will be as regular as demand dictates!

Any comments, questions or suggestions, let me know and I'll try my best to get back to you

Until next time…

Smileyhalo


	8. Chapter 8

He was amazed she had lasted this long, if he was being honest. Even the most emotional of human beings would have had their soul ripped away from them by now, but not his Rose. He refused to believe it was merely down to the needs of the Mortisen either; she was clinging fiercely on to what little strength she had left, and there was no way she was giving it up without a fight.

That was precisely why he had had to knock her out and run.

Jackie had gone to make them all a cup of tea, and Mickey and Martha had gone for a walk down the street to assess the traffic situation, looking to see if either Pete or the ambulance was on their way. The Doctor knew this was his only chance. He crouched down next to Rose, talking in a low, hurried voice.

"Rose, you trust me don't you?"

"Of course," she mumbled tiredly, forcing herself to keep her eyes open long enough to look in to his as she spoke. That was all he needed.

"I'm sorry Rose, I hope you understand that I had to do this."

Somehow she knew what was coming, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Doctor, you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she was unconscious, eyes still fixed on his.

* * *

There wasn't much time, and he had to be ready for them. After scooping Rose gently in to his arms, he moved as quickly and quietly as possible out to the TARDIS, grateful that Jackie had a particularly loud kettle. He figured that if he was going to make her 'death' look convincing, he should at least settle her down in the infirmary and apply the necessary camouflage to her skin to give her a cold, deathly pallor, before perhaps attaching a couple of meaningless instruments to her, smashing a few more to the ground in an attempt to display some physical evidence of his grief. He actually found that part quite satisfying, for the few seconds it took to do. Then he was left to think about why he was doing it, and the pain began gnawing at him again, causing tears to form in his deep brown eyes. Sighing heavily, he settled down in a chair beside her, and let them flow.

He took her hand in his, caressed her slender fingers, fingers now damp with his fallen tears.

"I know you love me, I never doubted that."

Her cheeks were pale, her eyes cold, angry. Still she looked at him, couldn't tear herself away from him.

"I honestly don't know what I was thinking! You would never leave me, would you? You're still here, you would have left me by now if you really wanted to, you're stubborn like that," he whispered quietly, half laughing to himself. But he stopped at the look on her face. She was hurt, scared, broken.

And all because he had told himself she was no longer there.

He tried to tell himself that what he had done before, he could do again. Travelling alone for a bit wasn't normally that bad; at least he didn't have to worry about stocking up on teabags. It was easy enough to find company too; after all, trouble wasn't the only thing that tended to follow him around.

But he was a fool to think she wouldn't follow too.

And here he was now, sat beside her, praying to all the gods he could think of that this plan would work, because the only thing that was keeping him going was knowing that her death was only make believe. He didn't know what he would do if his charade were to become reality.

* * *

A/N: I said updates would be more regular didn't I?! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, I would love to know what you think. One thing I would like to say now is that unfortunately Pete won't be reappearing in this story; I tried my best, but after much deliberation of potential plots, I felt that putting him in again would interrupt the flow of the story. Hopefully you won't mind too much when you read the end result  Only three more to go now folks, so get your comments, questions and suggestions in now 

Until next time…

SmileyHalo


	9. Chapter 9

If they were as hungry as he thought they would be, then he could afford to keep her heart beating. They would be so consumed by their desire for his soul that she would lie forgotten, her part in their resurrection complete. As long as she was unable to think, she would not come to their attention again.

After checking one last time that her mind was empty of dreams or thoughts, anything that might give the plan away, his mind called out to them.

_It was me you wanted, so take me! There's nothing left for me here._

Seeing her lying there, so cold and still, it wasn't hard to imagine how true those words would be if she left him.

It didn't take long for them to find him; his emotions alone sent tremors through their minds- his words were unnecessary.

It made him sick to his stomach to see the satisfied looks on their faces. He had no idea how he was able to ignore the instinct to kill them when they began to speak, voices thick with unconcealed arrogance.

"We had heard legends of the Doctor echoing throughout time, a great and terrible man. We had no idea he could be brought to his knees by a mere human."

"A weak, pathetic girl, consumed by a crush you could never return. How tragic that she had to pay such a heavy price for her foolishness."

"Rose was no fool," he spat, hands shaking with suppressed rage. "She was a brave, strong woman and she fought her hardest to the end."

"Yet you give up so easily Doctor! What kind of man does that make you?"

"One who has lost all that he can stand to lose. I have no strength left in me to fight; I surrender."

The Mortisen chuckled darkly.

"I assume there are conditions attached?"

"Rose is the last human you come in to contact with. After tonight, you won't feed on this planet again."

"Agreed Doctor. With your cooperation it will be aeons before we need to feed anywhere, even with the increase in numbers."

He shuddered lightly. If his assumptions proved incorrect, his death would be more drawn out than even he had imagined. He knew his mind wouldn't exactly be a light snack for them, but still, _aeons!_ He couldn't bear to imagine it.

Instead he focussed on the task at hand, preparing his mind for what must be done; he only had one shot, and he had to get it right. There were no guarantees these creatures would stick to their word once he was dead.

* * *

"Doctor, do you take sugar?" Jackie called. Receiving no reply, she assumed that meant no. Sighing, she carried the tea carefully through to the living room, careful not to spill any on the new cream carpets covering the lower floor of the house. When she found the room empty, with no sign of the Doctor or her daughter anywhere, the tea ended up on the floor anyway.

* * *

It was an entirely human gesture of course, but it seemed the most natural way to start proceedings. The Doctor held out his hand towards the waiting Mortisen leader, just as Rose had, but unlike Rose he knew what was coming.

They were relying on his feelings being released in a steady stream, but what would happen if they were released too fast?

The creature's cold hands grasped his, and he knew that it was time.

All the doors he had had to lock in his mind over the years to keep his grief from overwhelming him flew open; the emotions came flooding out in waves, and his head all of a sudden felt much lighter…

* * *

Mickey and Martha walked in the front door just as the cups smashed.

"Jackie, what's happened?" Mickey shouted as he ran in the direction of the noise, Martha following close behind him.

"They're gone!" Jackie shrieked hysterically, collapsing in his arms the moment he found her. "I thought he wouldn't take her but they're gone!"

"I'm sure they won't have gone for Jackie," Martha said soothingly.

"Are you kidding me?! He's an alien with a spaceship, they could be anywhere by now," Jackie sobbed.

"I don't think so," Mickey said confidently, "he can't go far without transport; the TARDIS is exactly where it was when he arrived."

"Then what are we waiting for? I'm going to get my Rose back!" Jackie cried, leaping to her feet at once and marching out the house, Martha and Mickey following quickly behind.

* * *

He wouldn't be able to stay on his feet much longer. But he could see that it was working. The agony they felt was etched on their faces; after centuries with such a limited supply of sustenance, such a large amount of raw emotion was too much for their bodies and minds to cope with.

He felt some satisfaction when he realised he wouldn't be the first to hit the floor, but he knew that it wouldn't be long until it was his turn.

The last thing he heard before he lost his fight to stay conscious was a loud cracking sound as the Mortisen minds were finally shattered.

* * *

A/N: Two chapters left now! I really would love to know what you think of this story, so any comments, questions or suggestions send them my way. Every reader is appreciated and every comment is treasured, I will try my best to get back to any reviewers asap. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)

Until Next Time....

Smileyhalo


	10. Chapter 10

For a few moments, a deafening silence crashed down on the TARDIS, as though the ship herself was holding her breath.

Then reality caught up with her.

Rose's eyes fluttered slowly open as her conscious came flooding back to her. She couldn't remember what had happened, didn't know how she was even here, but when she saw the Doctor lying motionless on the floor, she didn't even care. Her cries were picked up by the TARDIS, whose own lament echoed along the silent halls. Jackie's shouts went unheard as they wept, lost in their grief for the man they both loved.

"I know you're in there Doctor, bring my Rose out or I'll kick the door in!" Jackie screeched, banging on the door for emphasis.

"You don't need to do that," Martha approached the door timidly, "I've got a key."

"Well what are you waiting for then you silly girl! Open it!"

Without further hesitation, (she didn't want to get any further into Jackie's bad books than she already was), Martha opened the door, and was immediately pushed aside as Jackie ran in.

"Rose! Rose sweetheart, where are you?"

She needn't have asked; even above the noise of the TARDIS, Rose's cries could still be heard.

"We should try the medical room," Martha suggested, struggling to stay calm when all the signs suggested something had gone horribly wrong, something involving her Doctor.

They all moved in swift silence, hardly daring to breathe as they stepped through the doorway in to the medical room.

Surprisingly, Martha was the first to react after taking in the scene before her, her medical training kicking when she saw the unconscious Doctor.

"Rose, what happened to him?" she asked as she pressed her ear against his chest, hoping against hope to hear his two hearts beating.

"I don't know," Rose answered, dazed, "I woke up, here in the TARDIS, and he was lying there on the floor, and he just won't wake up! I don't know who you are or how you think you know me, but you have to help him!" she pleaded.

"I will I promise," Martha replied, breathing a sigh of relief when she heard two healthy heartbeats. She grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse.

"All his signs are good," Martha announced after further examination. "Since we don't know exactly what's happened, I think it's best for us just to wait for a bit and see if he wakes up on his own."

As if in agreement, the TARDIS's lament began to fade, replaced by her familiar gentle hum.

"Mum?" Rose tore her gaze away from the Doctor momentarily to search for the only person who would be able to help her make sense of this nightmare.

"I'm here love," Jackie answered, moving to her daughter's side.

"How did he get here?" Rose asked quietly.

"I don't know sweetheart," Jackie replied slowly, not sure quite how to explain what had happened, "you were…in trouble… and somehow he managed to find you."

"The TARDIS sensed what was happening" Martha added cautiously, "The Doctor said that, in emergencies, she can break through the dimensions."

Rose was about to ask who this stranger was and how she knew so much when they were all interrupted by the Doctor, who chose that moment to wake up. Sitting bolt upright, he stared at Martha with a frantic look in his dark brown eyes.

"We have to go! The rift is closing, Martha, we have to get out of here!"

A/N: One chapter left people! Get your comments, questions and suggestions in to me, and I will get back to as soon as I can. On that note, I would just like to say thank you to novacancymind for your encouraging reviews, I hope you continue to enjoy as the story reaches its end!

Until next time….

SmileyHalo


	11. Chapter 11

"Doctor, we've come all this way… surely you want to stay for a bit, catch up with Rose?" Martha asked tentatively.

"We can't Martha, didn't you hear me?" the Doctor snapped, "I'm sorry Rose, I would love to stay," he continued apologetically, turning to the young blonde, "But you know how it is, people to save, planets to see. We have to leave; this isn't our universe to meddle in. I'm glad I was able to help you though."

Rose nodded wordlessly, unable to speak through the lump in her throat. Seeing her devastation and feeling the heat from Jackie's accompanying glare, Martha turned and beckoned him out the room.

"I don't know what's going on here," she whispered furiously, "but after everything you two have been together, you owe her more than just a quick 'Nice to see you, I'm off now!'. You love her Doctor and she loves you, I know how much it's going to hurt to say goodbye again but you can't just leave her without any kind of explanation as to why you were here in the first place!"

"What on earth makes you think I love her?!" the Doctor asked incredulously, stunned by Martha's outburst. "She was a friend, a good friend, but the past is the past, and she and I both need to move on. She'll understand that I can't stay, and I don't think it's going to do her any good to explain what's happened, it'll only scare her. Besides, there's no need, she'll be fine now that the Mortisen have gone."

At that point it all started to click for Martha.

"Doctor, how did you get rid of them exactly?" she asked warily.

"Well it was simple really! They had been starved of their life source for so long that it was easy to overload their systems. I just flooded their brains with a few old emotions, and hey presto! End of the Mortisen takeover," he smiled smugly.

Martha sighed. Of course he would have to give away his love for Rose to save her! This goodbye was going to be even trickier than she thought.

Watching Martha dragging the Doctor away from her daughter, Jackie scowled. She wished she could go after them, give him a piece of her mind, maybe a taste of her fist… she shook her head, willing her focus to remain on Rose, the only person in the room that really mattered at this moment.

She knew that attacking him would do no good; Rose would defend the Doctor until her lips turned blue. She loathed to defend him herself, but finding some justification for his behaviour would probably be the only way to soothe her daughter's breaking heart.

"He probably thought it would be easier for you both if he acted like he's moved on, so that you would know you can too. Stupid I know, but alien or not he's still a man, and their logic can be a little…strange at times."

Rose shook her head, breathing deeply as she struggled to hold herself together.

"No Mum, it's-" she tried her best to swallow down the lump in her throat, but it wouldn't budge, so she carried on, voice trembling, "-it's something more than that. It's like he's forgotten what we had, how we felt about each other. Like I'm just someone he's met once or twice, no real relationship, no emotions involved."

She couldn't hold it in any longer. Jackie rubbed her back in soothing circles while she cried, all the while trying to remember exactly what it was that the Doctor had said about the foul creatures that had controlled Rose's mind. Rose's words had made so much sense…Jackie was sure that if she could just remember, then maybe there would be hope for her daughter's heart yet.

The Doctor was keen to be off, but Martha had somehow persuaded him that he should check the TARDIS for any damage sustained by their unexpected trip across the dimensions before they went back to their own universe.

Leaving him alone in the control room, Martha left the TARDIS, heading back in to the house, where Rose and her family sat waiting.

She didn't even know where to begin really. It didn't help that they were all looking so expectantly at her, the way she'd noticed people tended to look at the Doctor when they needed answers.

She decided to concentrate on Rose, since she was the one most in need right now.

"I'm guessing someone's already told you, but my name is Martha Jones. I'm a friend of the Doctor; I've been travelling with him for a couple of months now-" she broke off for a second when she saw the look of disappointment cross Rose's face, "but anyway, you don't need to know about me, Rose. What you need to know is that there hasn't been a day that I've been with him when he's stopped thinking about you. He tries to hide it of course, but it's there in his eyes… you can tell he's just not in the same world sometimes. He loves you, even if he doesn't know it himself anymore-"

"What do you mean?" Rose interjected, "how can he just forget like that, as though we were never even friends?!"

"The trouble you were in, Rose…those things, the Mortisen, they were sucking the life out of you, harvesting every memory you had for emotions to feed from. The TARDIS felt it, and brought the Doctor here to save you. But the only way he could do that was to give them his most powerful memories, his strongest emotions, so strong that their bodies couldn't handle them. He sacrificed his love for you to save you Rose."

Rose struggled as she tried to take in everything this stranger was telling her. She had waited so long for his return, dreamed about it more often than she cared to count, only to find out it was, in fact, a nightmare.

"You definitely have to leave?" She finally asked.

Martha nodded.

"Then I don't want him reminded about how he felt…" She looked pointedly at her mother. "No discussions, no outbursts, no snide comments. If it has to be this way, then there's no need for him to know, he doesn't need to suffer too."

They all nodded in silent agreement. No one would dare go against Rose's wishes; she'd already been through too much.

The final checks had been made, Martha had said her goodbyes to Rose and her family before heading in to the TARDIS, and Mickey and Jackie had retreated back in to the house, leaving Rose alone with the Doctor.

"Well I guess this is goodbye then."

Rose didn't trust her voice not to break if she spoke, so she merely smiled a watery smile, moving towards him to give him a brief hug.

As he held her in his arms, a spark of the emotions he had previously felt for her ignited in his hearts, and he knew that Martha had been telling the truth when she said he had loved Rose. But in that same moment, he realised that she could never know. He couldn't bear to see her hurt again, especially if he was to blame. She needed to be able to move on with her life; he had to let her go.

Stepping back, he allowed himself one last look at the young woman that he would always carry with him in his hearts, before turning and walking silently back in to the TARDIS, closing the door and leaving her behind in this universe forever.

"I love you Doctor" he heard her whisper brokenly, knowing she couldn't follow him.

The engine began whirring loudly, but he paid no attention as the TARDIS began to shift, eyes fixed on the door that stood between them.

"I love you too Rose Tyler. I always will."

He would never see Rose Tyler on the other side of that door again.

A/N: The last chapter of Their Cold Caress! I originally tried to write this story with a happy ending, but after starting it, I decided that this was in fact the only way (in my mind anyway) to do this story justice. I really hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and now that it's over I would love to know what you thought of it, especially if you haven't commented before! If you have, then thank you once again, it really means a lot

Until next time…

SmileyHalo


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